My husband had me locked in a windowless subterranean holding room beneath our Chicago estate, claiming I had suffered a severe psychotic break.
Evelyn watched the security feeds on Sarah’s monitor flicker, then die, one by one. A knot tightened in her stomach.
“You really think you can scare me with a few outages?” Evelyn scoffed, though her voice lacked its earlier certainty. “The Montgomery name holds fourteen federal judges in Chicago. I have Senators on speed dial.”
She jabbed a manicured finger at Sarah. “If you try anything, Colonel, I will have you court-martialed. Stripped of every rank. I will make sure you lose your pension, your reputation, everything.”
Sarah listened, her expression unreadable. She didn’t flinch, didn’t interrupt. The only sound was the distant hum of the estate’s emergency generators kicking in, a momentary surge before the silence returned.
“My son is a very important man,” Evelyn continued, regaining some of her arrogance. “This estate, our assets – they’re all protected by layers you couldn’t possibly comprehend. A simple military officer like you has no idea the power we wield.”
Sarah finally reached into her pocket. Evelyn’s eyes widened, expecting a phone call to local authorities, maybe even the National Guard.
Instead, Sarah pulled out a small, rugged satellite radio. She held it to her ear, the faint crackle the only sound in the predawn quiet.
“Zulu-Eight-Niner-Echo,” Sarah spoke into the mic, her voice low and clear. “Coordinates transmitted. Package inbound. Execute full recovery protocol.”
Evelyn’s mouth opened slightly. “What… what was that?”
Sarah lowered the radio, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching the corners of her lips. “Julian’s stolen money didn’t just come from ‘private offshore reserves,’ Evelyn. It came from Marcus O’Leary’s private offshore reserves.”
Evelyn went rigid, her face draining of color. The name hung in the air, heavy and dark. O’Leary. Not a judge, not a senator. Something far more dangerous.
“You called them?” Evelyn whispered, her voice barely audible. “You actually called *them*?”
Sarah merely tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the road beyond the gates. The first faint hint of blue was just beginning to touch the horizon.
More Stories
+ There are no comments
Add yours